Li Tongya saw off An Zheyan, then burned incense and took a bath, before changing into his formal attire. He donned a gray robe with white cloud-patterned sleeves and slung a sword over his back, then walked to the summit of Mount Lijing.0

He pushed open the doors of the ancestral hall where the ancestral tablets stood silently, surrounded by curling smoke that gave the place a solemn atmosphere.0

The tablets represented the six generations of ancestors from the village records, along with Li Genshui and Li Mutian. Li Tongya was technically a descendant of the ninth generation, but if counting from the beginning of their connection to the Dao, he was a second-generation disciple.2

Li Tongya gazed at the tablets amidst the swirling smoke. He kneeled and bowed three times to the leading tablets, showing proper respect, and said reverently, "I, your unworthy descendant Tongya, offer my respects to the revered ancestors and elders… I respectfully inform you all: Our family has striven diligently through seven generations to cultivate grains. My father...0